


Daughter in the Water

by XaiBauGrove



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Gen, SO MUCH FLUFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 05:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14867342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XaiBauGrove/pseuds/XaiBauGrove
Summary: The daughter of the Avatar and prominent genius, engineer, philanthropist CEO turns out to be more of a handful than the two young, new mothers thought. In slice of life snapshots, little Yasuko Sato displays all the best and some of the worst qualities of her parents, but in the end, Korra and Asami are reminded of what an incredible addition they've contributed to the world in their child. Yasuko is hot-headed, inquisitive, rambunctious, gifted in intelligence and brave--and our favorite couple goes through the years watching their little one grow.





	Daughter in the Water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Writerleft](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerleft/gifts).



> So I actually don't like kids. Just wanna point that out. I mean, I really don't. I also do not like the idea of Korrasami kid. I personally feel like they wouldn't have time for a kid and I've just never seen them with kids in my mind. And yet, this exists. And the concept was still adorable to me. What is happening???
> 
> The inspiration came from a song, "Daughter" by Loudon Wainwright and thinking of a fanfic that would be a proper gift to the remarkable, incomparable Shannon, well-known by her pen name, WriterLeft. Shannon has contributed SO much to this fandom and has has such a positive affect on my life with her passion and dedication to Korrasami that I had to show her my appreciation creating something for her for once, as she applies the same positivity and dedication to herself during this life-changing event of her own. Thank you, Shannon. You're amazing and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it! Which is so weird because kids are not my wheelhouse but I guess Korrasami can make anything possible!

**Two**

**\----**

The frantic tapping of the heels of Asami’s boots filtered through the lower level of the Sato mansion, the sound growing in intensity and frequency as time went on. It was a sound that was well-known in the estate, and one that would resurface every once in a while in slow, deliberate clicks that would escalate into that familiar, distressed, incessant tapping.  

“Yasuko??”

Her voice could never maintain that level of calm she started out with in the beginning of her search. It always wavered slightly by the time her investigations of at least a handful of the usual spots yielded no results. Never in the same place twice, almost as if she were too sly to settle into a pattern, even in her young age. The clicking would always stop in a different location than the last time, and Asami would be a relieved bundle of nerves once she discovered her new hiding place. In this instance, the clicking stopped in her workshop, the cement floor stifling the tapping of her heels that settled next to her daughter sitting on the floor behind a toolbench, almost unrecognizable save for the bundle of ebony hair on her head and blue eyes looking up at Asami through all the oil covering her small body. Assorted tools were scattered all around her.

“Ugh… _Yasuko_ …” Asami sighed, bending down to pick her up.

“Wrenchie, Mama.” Yasuko’s tiny hands gripped a large, red wrench that she struggled to lift up and present to her mother as Asami lifted the girl into her arms, momentarily faltering. All the oil made it hard to find a grip, but Asami settled by bracing a hand under Yasuko’s bottom and cradling her at her hip.

“Yes, that’s Wrenchie, sweetie— _KORRA!_ ”

Asami’s terse call brought the Avatar to stroll sheepishly into the kitchen shortly after Asami lumbered in with Yasuko in tow. Korra stopped short at the sight of her wife and daughter both covered in oil, Yasuko’s large grin contrasting Asami’s stern frown. She almost erupted in laughter that she managed to stifle into a short sputter and covered her mouth with a loose fist.

“It’s not funny. You were supposed to be watching her.”

“I _was_!” Korra chuckled, a smirk breaking what little composure she had as she brought her hands up and lifted her shoulders. She walked up to the oil-slicked pair and poked at Yasuko’s pudgy belly through her stained clothes, bringing out a flutter of giggles. “But she’s a sneaky little thing, aren’t you?”

Korra took Yasuko off Asami’s hands and nuzzled her nose against her daughter’s, the oil coming off onto the tip of Korra’s nose.

“I have a meeting in thirty minutes and look at me!” Asami lamented, extending her arms. Her previously spotless, starched white dress shirt was stained with large blotches of oil that slightly resembled the shape of their daughter at her side. The top of her pencil skirt was also edged by the substance, but through it all Korra couldn’t help but smile at how striking Asami was even in the annoyed, frazzled state she was in.

“I know, I know.” Korra nodded, casually bending a rope of water out of the nearby sink and passing it gently over the stained areas of Asami’s clothing, removing the oil spots with ease. She delivered a brief gust of air to dry Asami off in turn as she stood patiently with her arms spread at her sides, green eyes cast up at the ceiling. Once Korra was done, she approached Asami again and pressed her lips to her cheek, then tilted her head up to whisper in her ear. The loose curl hanging there stirred under her breath. “There, as good as new and as beautiful as ever.”

“Don’t think you can sweet-talk your way out of this…” Asami mumbled, craning her neck back to look Korra firmly in the eye.

“Go to your meeting and I’ll handle…this situation.” Korra stood back and winked at Asami, then bounced Yasuko at her hip. Their daughter laughed and gripped at Korra’s shoulder with a slippery, oily hand.

“I swear, I leave you two alone for five minutes…” Asami begrudgingly planted a kiss on Korra’s cheek and brushed aside Yasuko’s hair, wiping away some of the oil as well to deliver a peck to the toddler’s forehead before smearing the oil off her fingers and onto Korra’s tunic. Korra and Yasuko followed Asami as she rushed to the front doors of the mansion, Asami stopping briefly at the threshold to call over her shoulder before closing the door behind herself: “And give _her_ a proper bath!”

Korra shook her head and chuckled after her wife was out of sight and looked down at Yasuko with a smile.

“You got Mommy in trouble today, huh?” she asked, to which Yasuko responded by taking a hand slathered in oil and smacking it onto Korra’s cheek, leaving a black handprint. Korra pursed her lips and stared flatly in resignation.

**Four**

**____**

“Can you please, _please_ get in the tub for Mommy?”

“No!”

Korra clasped her hands in front of her as she pleaded on her knees on the bathroom floor. Yasuko stood across from her with her fists clenched at her sides and her thick little eyebrows set, her nose wrinkling with her frown. They had been at it for about an hour at that point, with Yasuko not letting up for a second. It was like night and day with the little blue-eyed girl. She could be quiet and obedient half the time and a hot-headed, defiant terror of a toddler at a moment’s notice and it drove Korra up the wall.  

“Don’t you love Mommy?” Korra ventured, slouching down in her desperation.

“I do love you, Mommy…” Yasuko mumbled in a small voice as she walked over to Korra and wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck, making Korra instantly melt. Her previous exasperated expression dissolved into a heartfelt smile and she wrapped her daughter in a tight embrace, squeezing slightly with her eyes closed. There was absolutely no fighting it. For all the enemies she had faced in life, Korra always found herself left defenseless ever since Yasuko appeared.

“Well…maybe you can skip this night—“

“Korra…”

Korra jumped and turned to see Asami standing in the doorway of the bathroom with her hands on her hips. Yasuko proceeded to sneakily bury her face into Korra’s shoulder, resulting in Korra tilting her eyebrows up and pouting at Asami, who rolled her eyes in response.

“You’re too soft on her,” she sighed, folding her arms and leaning against the doorframe.

“I can’t help it… Look at her!” Korra turned Yasuko in her arms so that the both of them were cheek to cheek looking up at Asami from the floor of the bathroom. Yasuko flashed her trademark crooked grin, the one Asami knew all too well. Their daughter was steadfast becoming a master manipulator, and while Korra was oblivious to her tricks, Asami could see right through her. She still couldn’t decide if she should be proud or not, but took the necessary precautions in the meantime. She would do her best to steer her away from the little evil, diabolical genius she clearly showed the potential of becoming in spite of Korra being the enabling pushover that she was.

Asami arched a brow at her daughter and wife, then smirked when their faces dropped with her flat reply, their expressions mirroring one another. “Bath. Now.”

Yasuko crossed her arms and huffed, poking out her bottom lip. She always knew better than to try her luck with her mother. In the end, Asami’s word was final. Korra shrugged apologetically as she knelt on the floor on one knee with her arm propped up on the other, seeking out Yasuko’s eyes. Asami walked over and bent down to bring her face level with Korra’s, whispering in her ear, “The sooner she gets her bath, the sooner we can take ours. But the longer this goes on, the bigger the chance is that I just take it alo—“

“Alright! Let’s go! In the tub!” Korra jumped up. Asami instinctively jerked back in turn to avoid her wife’s wild hand gestures and smiled freely as she did so. Yasuko gaped at her mother in shock, then stomped her foot down and frowned.

**Five**

**____**

The estate had been suspiciously quiet and Asami had just begun to set herself to the usual detective work when she noticed a draft in the hall coming from her office. The doors were flung open and she curiously strode up to the room only to stop dead in her tracks at the threshold. Red curtains billowed around a wide open window and countless important blueprints and documents were catching on the strong breeze, whipping around the room that was slightly chaotic but nothing compared to her mind when her frantic eyes locked onto Yasuko crouched on the windowsill. She was looking out at the sky above her, delicate feet poised at the edge and Korra’s glider staff clenched in her left hand as her right gripped at the edge of the windowsill.

Asami started to approach her by walking on her tip-toes. Trying not to startle her daughter, she stifled all her panic and ignored the thumping in her chest that pounded in her ears as she inched closer and closer until Yasuko must have sensed her presence. Yasuko perked up and looked back at her with a wide grin, blue eyes gleaming in excitement.

“Yasuko…” Asami cautiously extended an arm from where she stood, her voice quavering and hand shaking slightly.

But before she could utter another word, Yasuko lightly chimed, “I wanna be like Mommy!” And with that, and not a moment’s hesitation, she extended the wings of the glider and leapt from the sill all in one fluid motion.

“Yasuko, _no!_ ” Asami broke out of her brief state of shock as her daughter dropped from the open window and she screamed at the top of her lungs while sprinting ahead, “ _KORRA!!!_ ”

Her own heartbeat was so loud that she hadn’t even registered the hurried footsteps or the strong gusts of wind throughout the estate until she was nearly blown aside by Korra bursting through the office in a vortex that rushed past her, a blur of blue and brown that blew straight out the window. Thankfully the glider had kept little Yasuko afloat long enough before it began a quick nosedive that Korra effortlessly reversed while in midair, bending a gentle current underneath the wings as she spun to a stop on the ground below a giggling Yasuko gliding lightly above. She planted her feet and set her brows, calmly guiding Yasuko to her with slow, deliberate movements of her arms.

Korra practically plucked her daughter from the air once she was low enough and finally let out a big sigh, Yasuko laughing as she settled with the glider still in hand. “Hey, this isn’t funny, Yasuko.”

“You had Mama really worried…” Korra pointed up and they both acknowledged a weary Asami slumped over with one leg hanging out of the open window several stories above them.

“I didn’t mean to…” Yasuko frowned and whimpered, rubbing at her eye. “I just wanted to fly like you…”  

“Yasuko, we’ve gone over this…you’re like Mama. You can’t bend, but you can do lots of other cool stuff, just like her!” Korra grinned, taking Yasuko’s hand away from her face and squeezing it lightly in her own. Her daughter continued to hang her head, a dark, curly bang shielding her eyes from Korra’s view. She tucked the stray lock behind Yasuko’s ear. “Y’know…Mama told me she showed you some pretty cool moves in practice the other day. Wanna try them out?”

 And just like that, Yasuko lifted her head up and revealed a bright smile under deep blue eyes. “Yeah! They are cool! I’ll show you, c’mon, let’s go!”

Yasuko tugged on the front of Korra’s tunic and Korra chuckled in agreement, then spun around in a tight circle as she manipulated the air around them to carry them both up and through the open window above. Yasuko practically jumped out of her arms once Korra’s feet touched the hardwood floors of the office. She began running out the office, making a beeline for their home gym. “C’mon, Mommy! Hurry!” she called over her shoulder as she scurried down the stairs.

“I’ll be there in a bit!” Korra cupped a hand to the side of her mouth as she shouted her reply. She took a moment to look warmly at the open double doors of the office that Yasuko had just run through and shook her head. Her daughter truly was a handful, and she couldn’t shake how endearing it was to her. Yasuko was a wild, unpredictable surprise day after day and Korra couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in her.

Once the moment had passed, Korra turned to regard her wife who had approached her side with an apologetic look. Asami’s hair was a mess, her green eyes appeared to be so weary it looked like she hadn’t slept in days and her expression screamed exhaustion. In the span of a couple minutes, their daughter had sapped all the energy from the same woman who had taken on weeks of work rebuilding an entire city on only several hours sleep. Korra wrapped an arm around Asami’s shoulders and held her tight, simultaneously planting a kiss on her cheek.

“You okay…?”

“…I need to go lie down.”

Leaving it at that, Asami trudged out of the office, Korra looking after her with a slight smile that was filled with equal parts amusement and sympathy.

**Six**

**____**

“Varrick…these aren’t the same blueprints your assistant delivered to me last week.”

Yasuko eyed the small lightbulb in front of her intently as she sat in the leather swivel chair at the large, oak desk in Asami’s office. She had already tried several formations for the wires and attached, then reattached them for a while now but every time she flipped the switch at the front of the mechanism, the tungsten wire within the bulb remained dark and quiet. But she was persistent, and opened up the cover at the side of the metal box again to continue tinkering with the wiring inside. The tip of her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on the task at hand, vaguely paying any attention to the meeting taking place between her mother and Varrick on the opposite side of the desk.

“Ah, yes. See, that’s because I was looking at it all from the _wrong angle…_ once I bucked the whole, ‘right-side up trend’ I saw all these things that were all wrong! And I’ll tell ya, they needed to go, so you’re right! I made some adjustments, the errors were killing me! Even worse than that boil Zhu-Li had to pop for me the other day…”

Yasuko glanced up briefly and scrunched her nose in disgust, then looked back down at the device on the desk and pursed her lips as she flipped the switch again with her thumb. Nothing. 

“Ugh. How bad is it?”

“The boil? That thing’s yesterday’s news, my wife is a whiz at getting rid of them, you should see it. Doesn’t even leave a mark! It’s crazy!”

“I’m talking about the changes that you’ve made!”

“Hey, now! There’s nothing bad about them! They just had to be bigger, you know? Adding several more meters gives more room for some additional real estate in the surrounding area, then we capitalize on the money-grab when it comes to all that land development we could have been missing out on if it wasn’t for this baby right here! Never fails!”

“Increasing the floors of the buildings can’t possibly fit into the budget we already outlined for the designs you had sent previously, Varrick. You can’t just change things without consulting me, first! And several meters?? You’re adding an additional five stories on every structure!”

“Asami, Asami…listen to me. You’ve gotta think bigger! Better. We’re not the only business entities out here anymore, it’s getting hairy!”

Yasuko heaved a grateful sigh and closed the side panel to the device, then screwed the panel shut. She turned the metal box around on the desk until the switch was facing her again and kept her eyes trained on the bulb once more.

“It’s not as easy to get contracts as it was when this city was first looking like a hog-monkey’s old dinner!”

Yasuko tentatively placed her thumb on the switch, staring at the bulb.

“We can’t get contracts if we’re bankrupt because you don’t understand how a partnership works… I’m not adding these additions.”

“Then you’ll be denying some key investors here!”

“You’ve already told them???”

Yasuko held her breath and flicked the switch.

“And they loved it!”

“I can’t believe this.”

“I’m telling ya, Asami. You’ve gotta think… _bigger_.”

The tungsten wire in the center of the bulb lit up red before the yellow glow spread through the entire fixture, illuminating Yasuko’s wide, blue eyes. She grinned and sat up giddily, looking down at the small machine of her creation in amazement. Then she brought her attention to her mother, ready to gush over her accomplishment, but stopped when she saw Asami holding a palm to the side of her head in obvious distress. Varrick stood near her with his hands on his hips and chest puffed out, quite pleased with himself. Yasuko looked back at the lit bulb before her and furrowed her brow in determination, nodding to herself. If she could create light, she could surely help her mother with her problem and save her from the annoying man who made her unhappy every time he came into her office with all his loud talking.

“If you made the most important ones biggest, you could do it, Mama.” Asami dropped her arm to her side and looked curiously at her daughter. Varrick’s attention was also drawn and he pointedly watched Yasuko with raised brows. Yasuko held a finger up and straightened as she continued. “They would have to be appocks-inarry three noodles in extra heighth, but you could build them.”

“Approximately. And that’s--actually pretty accurate…” Asami folded her arms and held her elbow with one hand while gesturing with the other. “If we’re substituting noodles for stories…”

Asami rushed to scribble down dimensions on the blueprints and crossed out some details while adding some of her own. Yasuko made sure to flip the switch on her invention to turn the bulb off before hopping down from the chair to peek at the energetic scribblings of her mother bent over the papers above, who softly smiled down at Yasuko.

“Looks like I’ve got some competition! And a new business idea!” Varrick said, clapping the bottom of his fist into his open palm. “Noodles!”

 “HEY!” Yasuko reeled on Varrick, stomping over to him with fists clenched at her sides.

“How about we split the profits, 50/50!” He smiled down at Yasuko, gesticulating with his arms spread out in front of him.

“No!” She scowled up at him and cocked her leg back, then delivered a swift kick to his shin. Varrick cried out in exaggerated pain, prompting Asami to hurriedly abandon her work and rush to pull her daughter away as she was mid-kick again.

“Yasuko! No, we don’t hit unless we’re being hit.” Asami carried Yasuko away, hands picking her up by the underarms.

“Hey, kid! Careful there, I bruise like a peach.” Varrick jerked his leg away and addressed Asami. “Looks like you’ve got a loose cannon on your hands!”

Yasuko pouted after Asami’s admonishment and cast a side-eyed look at Varrick in annoyance.

“Y’know what? You’ve got moxie! How’d you like to work for Varrick Global Enterprises, kid? I’ll get you your own office, you can be my new assistant! And they do well, my last assistant is the President now!” Varrick knelt down to Yasuko’s level and spread his hands out as if displaying all the wonders of potential employment with him to Yasuko. “So, whaddya say?”

“Future…Indjuries!” She was winding up a roundhouse kick directed right at Varrick’s head that startled him for a second before Asami grasped Yasuko by the shoulders and pulled her back again, saving him from certain harm.

“No, Yasuko,” Asami said, bending down to get a proper hold on her daughter. “Future Industries.”

“I think she had it right the first time…” Varrick grumbled, rubbing his shin, then standing up again.

“Are we done here?” Asami snapped, Varrick’s constant provocation and Yasuko’s lashing out in retaliation beginning to grate on her nerves.

“Sure thing, partner! I’ll send you some new documents in a couple days. With maybe only minor adjustments…” Varrick leaned over to invade Asami’s personal space and held a hand up to the side, mumbling the last part as Asami sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Not Zhu-Li!” Varrick snapped back to attention, pointer finger jutting into the air.

A miserable looking man in the far corner of the room closed his eyes and drawled, “It’s San, sir…”

“Take a memo! Noodles as the newest form of measurement! We’ll solve world hunger!”

Yasuko opened her mouth to protest but remembered Asami standing above her and caught herself, angrily sulking in response.

“As for you!” Varrick leaned down to regard Yasuko with his right eye wide and focused on her, inches away from her face. “I’ve got my eye on you, kid…”

Yasuko didn’t back down from the challenge and answered back with a critical stare of her own, meeting Varrick halfway. Their eyes were almost touching save for a breath of space between them.

“Goodbye, Varrick,” Asami stated, placing her hands on her hips. The eccentric businessman hopped up, left with a wink and his obnoxious rambling could be heard down the hall as he made his way out of the estate, his assistant sighing behind him.

Asami closed her eyes and exhaled, dropping her shoulders. When she opened her eyes again, she smiled down at Yasuko and when her daughter registered her attention, she bent down and hugged her. An overwhelming swell of pride and happiness washed over Asami all at once that she was finally able to express in that private moment with Yasuko that they could share all to themselves.

“You did such a great job,” Asami said, kissing Yasuko at the top of her head as she laughed.

 

* * *

 

 

Korra blew out a breath and looked around the room. Various tools and toys were scattered everywhere, a pai sho board with all the pieces all over the table and floor beneath it, nuts and bolts amongst them and even Naga spread out on her back on the floor, exhausted with her tongue lolling from her mouth. Asami shushed Korra immediately after her exhalation, pointing down to the small body between them. All three of them sat on the couch in the foyer, with Yasuko passed out and snoring in her sleep. After several long hours of constant playing and discoveries and adventures all throughout the house with Naga, she had finally tired herself out.

Korra leaned her head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling, wondering if she’d ever felt as tired fighting against armies and rogue anarchist groups as she had trying to contain her untamed daughter. She wondered how Yasuko could be so quiet and yet so loud, so calm at times and then boisterous and bold the next. She really was unpredictable, like the ocean tides, crashing around under the sun and silently shifting under the calm moon of night. Korra smiled to herself.

“Korra.” Asami tapped lightly on her wife’s shoulder to get her attention and grinned when Korra’s head popped up. She looked down at Yasuko in her slumber and back up at Korra. “She’s us…” she whispered.

And Korra immediately melted with the realization of that fact that had been so blatant that she was surprised she hadn’t noticed it before, but appreciated how Asami addressed it all the same. They both smiled at one another, then met in the middle above their sleeping daughter with a kiss and broke away only to look down at the reflection of their love in their little Yasuko between them.

**Author's Note:**

> When I was thinking of what little Yasuko would be like, I recalled how wild Korra was as a child and immediately thought, yes, this has to be a key element of her personality. I like the idea of all the work Korra put her parents through coming back at her ten-fold in her own daughter. I also enjoyed the idea of Asami's qualities not producing a wholly quiet and obedient child but rather resulting in Yasuko being extremely curious, sneaking off to tinker with various doo-dads and such in her insatiable curiosity. Overall, I pictured this bold, brash yet also sweet and docile mix of both Korra and Asami's personalities in Yasuko, a truly unforgettable character in their world. With their child, I would expect nothing less. 
> 
> As for our favorite couple, I love the concept of Korra being a pushover when it comes to her daughter. I picture her as a more laid-back parent. I feel as though growing up raised by the White Lotus resulted in her getting a lot of what she wanted in their attempts to please the Avatar. In the beginning of the series, we are introduced to this young woman who turns out to be a little spoiled in some cases and I can see Korra having this spill into how she interacts with Yasuko. Korra is just a big softie when it comes to her wife, I can only imagine her spoiling their little girl rotten. 
> 
> Which means that Asami has to be there to balance it out. Asami being a little more strict as a parent makes sense to me, as she doesn't have as much experience or expertise with children that Korra has and I see her approaching raising her daughter in a more logical manner. I think Asami might have been a little spoiled as well, especially after the death of her mother. I can see her father really doing everything to make her happy as a child, but she must have been grounded as well, as we all know her as more down to earth than her status would suggest. So I imagine her as being the one to reign in her daughter and wife's antics and loving them both all the same.
> 
> At any rate, I wanted Korra and Asami to have contrasting parenting styles. And to show that they both won't automatically be the perfect parents. They're young and figuring it all out and little Yasuko is definitely a handful, but they balance each other out, as they do. I still don't like the idea of Korrasami kid lol. No matter what this fic and all this headcanon suggest. But anything for Shannon! And as much as I don't like to admit it, I did have a great time writing this. :)


End file.
